Numerous devices have been developed which assist the X-ray technician with properly positioning a patient prior to and during X-ray secessions. These prior devices recognize the need to correctly position the patient and stabilize the patient for achieving usable X-rays without the need for repetitious shots. This devices are extremely useful for situations where the patient may be mobilized and positioned on a specialized table or X-ray equipment, however a portable device, like the present invention solves many problems with positioning patients who are unable to be brought to one of these specialized imaging devices.
McKenna, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,415 discloses a patient trauma table for use in trauma situations where the patient may be positioned for imaging and for surgical intervention. This device is extremely useful, however this device is not portable and cannot be used with existing operating beds and other hospital beds. One aspect of the present invention is that it allows the existing hospital beds to be utilized as imaging beds if necessary.
Other patient support tables are disclosed in the following Patents: Sebring, U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,166; Van Steenburg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,754; Rice, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,259; and Masuzawa U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,585. Those support table recognize the problems with correctly positioning the patient for X-ray and other imaging procedures, however theses devices do not provide a simple portable device for the purpose of stabilizing a patient laying on a normal hospital bed.
Prior to the present invention, when a patient is not able to be transported the technician must attempt to properly align and stabilize the patient wherever the patient is found. The present invention solves the problem of aligning and stabilizing patients when portable X-ray equipment must be used to go to a patient, or when a patient is brought to X-ray equipment on a bed and cannot be removed from the bed.